Varna is a significant hub for business, transportation, education, tourism, entertainment, and healthcare. The city is referred to as the maritime capital of Bulgaria and is home to the headquarters of theBulgarian Navy and merchant marine. In 2008, Varna was designated as the seat of theBlack Sea Euroregion by theCouncil of Europe.[2] In 2014, Varna was awarded the title ofEuropean Youth Capital 2017.[3]
The oldest gold treasure in the world, belonging to theVarna culture, was discovered in theVarna Necropolis and dated to 4600–4200 BC.[4]Since the discovery of the Varna Necropolis in 1974, 294 burial sites have been excavated, with over 3000 golden items inside.[5]
Theophanes the Confessor first mentions the nameVarna, as the city came to be known, within the context of theSlavic conquest of theBalkans in the 6th to 7th centuries. The name could be ofVarangian origin, as Varangians had been crossing the Black Sea for many years, reachingConstantinople in the early Middle Ages. InSwedish,värn means 'shield, defense' – hence Varna could mean 'defended, fortified place'. Vikings invaded the settlement during the Middle Ages.[6] The name may be older than that; perhaps it derives from theProto-Indo-European root*u̯er- 'to flow, wet, water, river'[7][8] (cf.Varuna), or from theProto-Slavic rootvarn 'black', or fromIranianbar orvar 'camp, fortress' (see alsoEtymological list of provinces of Bulgaria).
According to Theophanes, in 680,Asparukh, the founder of theFirst Bulgarian Empire, routed an army ofConstantine IV near the Danube River delta. Pursuing those forces, he reached "the so-called Varna near Odyssos [sic] and the midlands thereof" (τὴν λεγομένην Βάρναν, πλησίον Ὀδυσσοῦ). Perhaps the new name applied initially to an adjacent river or lake, a Roman military camp, or an inland area, and only later to the city itself.
By the late 10th century, the nameVarna was established so firmly that when Byzantines wrested back control of the area from the Bulgarians around 975, they kept it rather than restoring the ancient nameOdessos.
Prehistoric settlements are best known for theChalcolithicnecropolis (mid-5th millennium BC radiocarbon dating), a key archaeological site in world prehistory, the eponymousVarna culture, and internationally regarded as the world's oldest large find of gold artifacts, which existed within modern city limits. In the wider region of the Varna lakes (before the 1900s, freshwater) and the adjacentkarst springs and caves, over 30 prehistoric settlements have been unearthed, with the earliest artefacts dating back to theMiddle Paleolithic or 100,000 years ago.
Since the lateBronze Age (13th–12th c. BC), the area around Odessos had been populated withThracians. During the 8th–9th c. BC localThracians had active commercial and cultural contacts with people fromAnatolia,Thessaly, theCaucasus, and theMediterranean Sea. These links were reflected in some local productions, for example, forms of bronzefibula of the age, either imported or locally made. There is no doubt that interactions occurred mostly by sea, and the bay of Odessos is one of the places where the exchanges took place. Some scholars consider that during the 1st millennium BC, the region was also settled by the half-mythicalCimmerians. An example of their, probably accidental, presence is thetumulus dated 8th–7th c. BC found nearBelogradets, Varna Province.
The region around Odessos was densely populated with Thracians long before the coming of the Greeks to the western seashore of the Black Sea.Pseudo-Scymnus writes: "...Around the city [Odessos] lives the Thracian tribe named Crobises." This is also evidenced by various ceramic pottery, made by hand or by aPotter's wheel, bronze ornaments for horse-fittings, and iron weapons, all found in Thracian necropolises dated 6th–4th c. BC near the villages of Dobrina, Kipra, Brestak, and others, all inVarna Province. The Thracians in the region were ruled by kings, who entered into unions with theOdrysian kingdom,Getae, orSapaeans—large Thracian states existing between the 5th and 1st century BC. Between 336 and 280 BC, these Thracian states, along with Odessos, were conquered byAlexander the Great.
Archaeological findings have indicated that the population of northeast Thrace was very diverse, including the region around Odessos. Between the 6th century BC and the 4th century BC, the region was populated byScythians who normally inhabited the centralEurasian Steppe (South Russia and Ukraine) and partly the area south of the river Istros (the Thracian name for the lowerDanube). Characteristics of their culture, weapons, and bronze objects have been found all over the region. Scythian horse ornaments are produced in "animal style", which is very close to the Thracian style, a possible explanation for the frequent mixture of both folks in northeastern Thrace. Many bronze artefacts give testimony to such a process, for example, applications and front plates for horseheads, as well as moulds for such products in nearby and more distant settlements. Since the 4th century BC the region had been populated by moreGetae, which is a Thracian tribe that populated both shores around theDanube Delta.
TheCelts started populating the region after they invaded theBalkan peninsula in 280 BC. Throughout northeast Bulgaria and even near Odessos, a significant number of bronze items with Celtic ornaments and typical weapons were discovered, all quickly adopted by Thracians. Arkovna, 80 km near Odessos, was probably the permanent capital of the Celts' last king Kavar (270/260–216/210 BC). Probably after the downfall of his kingdom, Celts blended with the greatly numbered Thracians in the country.Between the 2nd–1st c. BC in the presentDobrudja land, between Dyonissopolis (Balchik) and Odessos, many small Scythian states were established. Their "kings" minted their coins inmints located in cities on the western Black Sea coast, including Odessos.
The Thracians in northeast Thrace seem to be underdeveloped compared to their counterparts in South Thrace. The people lived in two types of settlements: non-fortified, located in fertile lands near water sources, and stone-built fortresses in a hard-to-reach mountain environment, where the kings' residences were usually located. Thracians engaged in farming, wood processing, hunting, and fishing. Among their art crafts is metal processing—especially weapons, excelling processing of bronze, making of bracelets, rings, Thracian type of fibulas, horse ornaments, arrowheads. Local goldsmiths used gold and silver to produce typical Thracian plate armour, ceremonial ornaments for the horses of the kings and the aristocracy, as well as valuablepateras andritons.
Despite ethnic diversity, numerous internal and external conflicts, and cultural differences, the populations of northeastern Bulgaria and the cities along the seashore have demonstrated stable tolerance to each other. Conservatism is easily noticed in ceramic items and in religion. The highest deity of all was theThracian horseman, who had different names and functions in different places. Water-related deities were honoured as well, such asthe Three Graces or the waterNymphs andZalmoxis by theGetae.During the centuries, especially by the end of theHellenistic period (2nd–1st c. BC), Thracians adopted the more elaborate Hellenistic culture, thus acting as an intermediate for the continental Thracians.[9]
Odessos orOdessus (Ancient Greek:Ὀδησσός)[10][11][12][13][14][15][16] is one of the oldest ancient settlements in Bulgaria. Its name appears asOdesopolis (Ὀδησόπολις) in thePeriplus of Pseudo-Scylax; and as Odyssos or Odyssus in theSynecdemus and inProcopius.[17] It was established in the second quarter of the sixth century BC (585–550 BC) byMiletianGreeks on the site of a previous Thracian settlement.[18][19] The Miletian founded anapoikia (trading post) of Odessos towards the end of the 7th c. BC (the earliest Greek archaeological material is dated 600–575 BC), or, according toPseudo-Scymnus,in the time ofAstyages (here, usually 572–570 BC is suggested), within an earlier Thracian settlement. The nameOdessos could have been pre-Greek, arguably ofCarian origin. It was the presiding member of the PonticPentapolis, consisting of Odessos,Tomi,Callatis,Mesembria, andApollonia.[17] Odessos was a mixed community—contact zone between theIonianGreeks and theThracian tribes (Getae,Krobyzoi,Terizi) of thehinterland. Excavations at nearby Thracian sites have shown uninterrupted occupation from the 7th to the 4th century BC and close commercial relations with the colony. The Greek alphabet has been used for inscriptions inThracian since at least the 5th century BC.
Odessos was included in the assessment of theDelian League of 425 BC. In 339 BC, it was unsuccessfully besieged byPhilip II (priests of the Getae persuaded him to conclude a treaty) but surrendered toAlexander the Great in 335 BC, and was later ruled by hisdiadochusLysimachus, against whom it rebelled in 313 BC as part of a coalition with other Pontic cities and the Getae. Nevertheless, at the end of the 4th century BC, the city became one of the strongholds of Lysimachus. The city became very prosperous from this time due to strong sea trade with many of the Mediterranean states and cities, supported by a wide range of local products. Shortly after 108 BC, Odessos recognised the suzerainty ofMithridates VI of Pontus.
The Roman city,Odessus, first included into thePraefectura orae maritimae and then in 15 AD annexed to the province ofMoesia (laterMoesia Inferior), covered 47 hectares in present-day central Varna and had prominent public baths,Thermae, erected in the late 2nd century AD (so-called Large (North) Ancient Roman Thermae), now the largest Roman remains in Bulgaria (the building was 100 m (328.08 ft) wide, 70 m (229.66 ft) long, and 25 m (82.02 ft) high) and fourth-largest-knownRoman baths in Europe which testify to the importance of the city. There is also the Small (South) Ancient Roman Thermae from the 5th–6th century AD.[20] Additionally, in 2019, archaeologists discovered ruins of a Roman thermae building from the 5th century AD.[21]
Major athletic games were held every five years, possibly attended byGordian III in 238.
The main aqueduct of Odessos was recently discovered during rescue excavations[22] north of the defensive wall. The aqueduct was built in three construction periods between the 4th and the 6th centuries; in the 4th century, the aqueduct was constructed together with the city wall, then at the end of the 4th to early 5th centuries when a pipeline was laid inside the initial masonry aqueduct. Thirdly, in the 6th century, an additional pipeline was added parallel to the original west of it and entered the city through a reconstruction of the fortress wall. The city minted coins, both as an autonomouspolis and under theRoman Empire fromTrajan toSalonina, the wife ofGallienus, some of which survive.[17]
Odessos was an earlyChristian centre, as testified by ruins of twelve early basilicas,[23] amonophysite monastery, and indications that one of theSeventy Disciples,Ampliatus, a follower ofSaint Andrew (who, according to theBulgarian Orthodox Church legend, preached in the city in 56 CE), served as bishop there. In 6th-century imperial documents, it was referred to as "holiest city,"sacratissima civitas. In 442, a peace treaty was signed betweenTheodosius II andAttila at Odessos. Furthermore, in 513, the city became a focal point of theVitalian revolt. Additionally, in 536, EmperorJustinian I designated it as the seat of theQuaestura exercitus province ruled by aprefect of Scythia orquaestor Justinianus and including Lower Moesia,Scythia, Caria, theAegean Islands, and Cyprus; later, the military camp outside Odessos was the seat of another senior Roman commander,magister militum per Thracias.
It has been suggested that the 681 AD peace treaty with theByzantine Empire that established the new Bulgarian state was concluded at Varna and the first Bulgarian capital south of the Danube may have been provisionally located in its vicinity—possibly in an ancient city near Lake Varna's north shore named Theodorias (Θεοδωριάς) by Justinian I—before it moved toPliska 70 kilometres (43 miles) to the west.[24]Asparukh fortified the Varna river lowland by arampart against a possible Byzantine landing; theAsparuhov val (Asparukh's Wall) is still standing. Numerous 7th-centuryBulgar settlements have been excavated across the city and further west; the Varna lakes north shores, of all regions, were arguably most densely populated by Bulgars. It has been suggested that Asparukh was aware of the importance of the Roman military camp (campus tribunalis) established by Justinian I outside Odessos and considered it (or its remnants) as the legitimate seat of power for both Lower Moesia and Scythia.
During theMiddle Ages, the control over the city passed from Byzantine to Bulgarian hands several times. In the late 9th and the first half of the 10th century, Varna was the site of a principalscriptorium of thePreslav Literary School at a monastery endowed by Bulgarian rulerBoris I of Bulgaria, who may have also used it as his monastic retreat. The scriptorium may have played a key role in the development of theCyrillic script by Bulgarian scholars under the guidance of one of SaintCyril and Methodius' disciples.Karel Škorpil suggested that Boris I may have been interred there. The synthetic culture with Hellenistic Thracian, Roman, as well as eastern—Armenian, Syrian, Persian—traits that developed around Odessos in the 6th century under Justinian I, may have influenced the Pliska-Preslav culture of theFirst Bulgarian Empire, ostensibly in architecture and plastic decorative arts, but possibly also in literature, including Cyrillic scholarship. In 1201,Kaloyan took over the Varna fortress, then in Byzantine hands, onHoly Saturday using asiege tower, and secured it for theSecond Bulgarian Empire.
By the late 13th century, with the 1261'Treaty of Nymphaeum, the offensive-defensive alliance betweenMichael VIII Palaiologos andGenoa was established, which opened up theBlack Sea to Genoese commerce, eventually turning Varna into a thriving commercial port city frequented by Genoese and later also byVenetian andRagusan merchant ships. The first two maritime republics established their consulates, alongside their expatriate colonies in Varna (Ragusan merchants remained active at the port through the 17th century operating from their colony in nearbyProvadia). The city was flanked by two fortresses with smaller commercial ports of their own, Kastritsi and Galata, within sight of each other, and was protected by two other strongholds overlooking the lakes, Maglizh and Petrich. Wheat, animal skins, honey, wax, wine, timber, and other local agricultural produce for the Italian and Constantinople markets were the chief exports, and Mediterranean foods and luxury items were imported. The city introduced its own monetary standard, theVarnaperper, by the mid-14th century; the Bulgarian and Venetian currency exchange rate was fixed by a treaty. Fine jewellery, household ceramics, fine leather, and food processing, as well as other crafts, flourished; shipbuilding developed in theKamchiya river mouth.
Fourteenth-century Italianportolan charts portrayed Varna as arguably the most important seaport betweenConstantinople and the Danube delta; they usually labeled the regionZagora. The city was unsuccessfully besieged byAmadeus VI, Count of Savoy, who had captured all Bulgarian fortresses to the south of it, including Galata, in 1366. In 1386, Varna briefly became the capital of the spinoffDespotate of Dobruja, then was conquered by theOttoman Turks in 1389 (and again in 1444), ceded temporarily toManuel II Palaeologus in 1413 (perhaps until 1444), and was sacked byTatars in 1414.
On 10 November 1444, one of the last major battles of theCrusades in European history was fought outside the city walls. TheOttomans routed an army of 20,000–30,000 crusaders,[25] commanded byWładysław III of Poland (also Ulászló I of Hungary), which had assembled at the port to set sail for Constantinople. The Christian army was attacked by a superior force of 55,000 or 60,000 Ottomans led bySultanMurad II. Ladislaus III was killed in a bold attempt to capture the sultan, earning the sobriquetWarneńczyk (of Varna in Polish; he is also known asVárnai Ulászló in Hungarian orLadislaus Varnensis in Latin). The failure of theCrusade of Varna made the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453 all but inevitable, and Varna (with all of Bulgaria) was to remain under Ottoman domination for over four centuries. Today, there is acenotaph of Ladislaus III in Varna.
A major port, agricultural, trade, and shipbuilding centre for theOttoman Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries, preserving a significant and economically active Bulgarian population, Varna was later made one of theQuadrilateral Fortresses (along withRousse,Shumen, andSilistra), severingDobruja from the rest of Bulgaria and containing Russia in theRusso-Turkish wars. The Russiansstormed the city in 1773 andbesieged it in 1828; however, both ended in failure.
In the early 19th century, many local Greeks joined the patriotic organisationFiliki Eteria. Αt the outbreak of theGreek War of Independence (1821), revolutionary activity was recorded in Varna. As a result, local notables who participated in the Greek national movement were executed by the Ottoman authorities, while others managed to escape to Greece, where they continued their struggle for independence.[26]
Varna during the late Ottoman rule
The British and French, campaigning against Russia in theCrimean War (1854–1856), used Varna as headquarters and principal naval base; many soldiers died of cholera, and the city was devastated by a fire. A British and a French monument mark the cemeteries where cholera victims were interred. In 1866, the first railroad in Bulgaria established a connection between Varna andRousse on the Danube, linking the Ottoman capitalConstantinople with Central Europe; for a few years, theOrient Express ran through that route. The port of Varna developed as a major supplier of food—notably wheat from the adjacent breadbasketSouthern Dobruja—to Constantinople and a busy hub for European imports to the capital; 12 foreign consulates opened in the city. Local Bulgarians took part in theNational Revival;Vasil Levski established a secret revolutionary committee.
In 1878, the city, which had 26,000 inhabitants, was ceded to Bulgaria by Russian troops, who entered on 27 July. Varna became a front city during theFirst Balkan War andWorld War I; its economy was significantly hampered by the temporary loss of its agrarian hinterland of Southern Dobruja to Romania (1913–1916 and 1919–1940). DuringWorld War II, theRed Army troops occupied the city in September 1944 and, afterward, helped to cement communist rule in Bulgaria, then known as thePeople's Republic of Bulgaria.
One of the early centres of industrial development and the Bulgarian labour movement, Varna established itself as the nation's principal port of export, a major grain-producing andviticulture centre, seat of the nation's oldest institution of higher learning outside Sofia, a popular venue for international festivals and events, and the country'sde facto summer capital with the erection of theEuxinograd royal summer palace (currently, the Bulgarian government convenes summer sessions there). Mass tourism emerged since the late 1950s. Heavy industry and trade with the Soviet Union boomed from the 1950s to the 1970s.
From 20 December 1949 to 20 October 1956, the city was renamed Stalin by the communist government after Soviet dictatorJoseph Stalin.[27]
Varna became a popular resort for Eastern Europeans, who were barred from traveling to the West until 1989. One of them, the veteran East German communistOtto Braun, died on vacation in Varna in 1974.
The city occupies 238 km2 (92 sq mi)[28] on verdant terraces (Varnamonocline of theMoesian Platform) descending from the calcareous Franga Plateau (height 356 m or 1,168 ft) on the north and Avren Plateau on the south, along the horseshoe-shapedVarna Bay of theBlack Sea, the elongatedLake Varna, and two artificial waterways connecting the bay and the lake and bridged by theAsparuhov most. It is the centre of a growing conurbation stretching along the seaboard 20 km (12 mi) north and 10 km (6 mi) south (mostly residential and recreational sprawl) and along the lake 25 km (16 mi) west (mostly transportation and industrial facilities). Since antiquity, the city has been surrounded by vineyards, orchards, and forests. Commercial shipping facilities are being relocated inland into the lakes and canals, while the bay remains a recreation area; almost all the waterfront is parkland.
The urban area has in excess of 20 km of sand beaches and abounds in thermal mineral water sources (temperature 35–55 °C or 95–131 °F). It enjoys a mild climate influenced by the sea with long, mild, Mediterranean-like, autumns, and sunny and hot, yet considerably cooler than Mediterranean summers moderated by breezes and regular rainfall. Although Varna receives about two-thirds of the average rainfall for Bulgaria, abundant groundwater keeps its wooded hills lush throughout summer. The city is cut off from north and northeast winds by hills along the north arm of the bay, yet January and February can still be bitterly cold at times, with blizzards. Black Sea water has become cleaner after 1989 due to decreased chemical fertilizers in farming; it has low salinity, lacks large predators or poisonous species, and the tidal range is virtually imperceptible.
The city lies 470 km (292 mi) north-east of Sofia; the nearest major cities areDobrich (45 km or 28 mi to the north),Shumen (80 km or 50 mi to the west), andBurgas (125 km or 78 mi to the south-west).
Varna has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa).The specific Black Sea climate is milder than the inland parts of the country, and the sea influence lowers the effect of the occasional cold air masses from the north-east. Average precipitation is the lowest for the country, and sunshine is abundant.[29] The summer begins in early May and lasts till early October. Temperatures in summer usually vary from 27 to 30 °C (81 to 86 °F) during the day and from 17 to 18 °C (63 to 64 °F) at the night. Seawater temperature during the summer months is usually in the range 24–27 °C (75–81 °F).[30] In winter, temperatures are about 6–7 °C (43–45 °F) during the day and 0 °C (32 °F) at night. Snow is possible in the coldest months, but it can quickly melt. The highest temperature ever recorded was 41.4 °C (106.5 °F) in July 1927, and the lowest was −24.3 °C (−11.7 °F) in February 1929.
Climate data for Varna (normals for 1991–2020 extremes 1961–2020)
Varna is the administrative centre for Varna county (област,oblast, area). On the other hand, Varna municipality (община,obshtina, borough) comprises the city and five suburbs:Kamenar,Kazashko,Konstantinovo,Topoli, andZvezditsa, served by the city public transport system.
The municipal chief executive is the Mayor (кмет,kmet: the word iscognate withcount). Since the end of thede facto one-party communist rule in 1990, there have been four mayors: Voyno Voynov, SDS (Union of Democratic Forces),ad interim, 1990–91; Hristo Kirchev, SDS, 1991–99;Kiril Yordanov, independent, 1999–2013;Ivan Portnih,GERB, 2013–2023;Blagomir Kotsev,PP–DB, 2023–present.
The City council (общински съвет,obshtinski savet, the 51-member legislature) is the city's legislative body composed of 51 members. As of January 2015 it consists of: centre-rightCitizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB), 22 council members; centre-right/right-wingReformist BlocPatriotic Front (Bulgaria), 6; centre-leftBulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), 5; "Varna" Coalition includingAttack, 4; other smaller parties, groups and independent members, 14.[34]The Council chairman is Todor Balabanov (GERB).[35]
Odessos Area Building
Varna regional court is one of the busiest courts in the country. The city also headquarters the district, administrative, and military court, and a court of appeal as well as regional, military, and appellate prosecutor's offices.[36]
The city is divided by law into five boroughs (Bulgarian:райони,romanized: rayoni), each with its mayor and council:Asparuhovo, Mladost, Odessos (the historic centre), Primorski (the largest one with official population of 102,000 also comprising the seaside resorts north of the city centre), and Vladislav Varchenchik. The boroughs are composed of various districts with distinctive characters and histories.[37] The villages too have а mayor or a mayoral lieutenant (кметски наместник,kmetski namestnik).
Varna was rumoured to be the hub ofBulgarian organised crime. Some sectors of the economy, including gambling, corporate security, tourism, real estate, and professional sports, were believed to be controlled in part by business groups with links to Communist-era secret services or the military.
However, it is noted that in Varna, the so-calledmutri (Mafia) presence was by no means as visible as it was in smaller coastal towns and resorts. Over the last couple of years, crime has subsided, which is said to have contributed to Varna being named as Bulgaria's Best City to Live In (2007);[38] in 2007, the regional police chief was promoted to the helm of the national police service.
There are consulates of the following countries:Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine.[39][40]
A woman and a boy enjoying Varna's aerial chairlift ride at Chaika beachfront communityVarna South BeachOfficers' Beach at sunset
The first population data date back to the mid-17th century when the town was thought to have about 4,000 inhabitants,[42] while the first population census in 1881 counted 24,555.[43] According to the 1883 census, it was the second-largest in Bulgaria afterRuse. Thereafter Varna became Bulgaria's third-largest city and kept this position steadily for the next 120 years, while different cities took turns in the first, second, and fourth places.
In January 2012, the city of Varna has a population of 334,781, which makes it the third-largest city in Bulgaria, while theVarna Municipality along with the legally affiliated adjacent villages had 343,643 inhabitants.[47] The unofficial metro area (including Varna municipality and adjacent parts of Aksakovo, Avren, Beloslav, and Devnya municipalities, and excluding adjacent parts ofDobrich Province) has an estimated population of 475,000.[48] Here, the "Varna-Devnya-Provadiya agglomeration" is not considered identical to the "Varna metro area".
Varna is one of the few cities in Bulgaria with a positive natural growth (6300 births vs. 3600 deaths in 2009[49]) and new children's day care centers opening (6 expected in 2009).[50]
Since December 2006, various sources, including theBulgarian National Television, national newspapers, research agencies, the mayor's office, and local police, claim that Varna has a population by present address of over 500,000, making it the nation's second-largest city.[51][52] Official statistics according to GRAO and NSI, however, have not supported their claims. In 2008, Deputy Mayor Venelin Zhechev estimated the actual population at 650,000.[53] In December 2008, MayorKiril Yordanov claimed the actual number of permanent residents was 970,000,[54] or that there were 60% unregistered people. In January 2009, theFinancial Times said that "Varna now draws about 30,000 new residents a year."[55] The census, carried out in February 2011, enumerated 334,870 inhabitants.If unregistered population plus the commuters from the adjacent municipalities are taken into consideration, the real population of the city during a work day reaches 400,000. Varna attracts 2 to 3 million tourists a year, as the holidaymakers may reach as many as 200,000 daily during the high season. Thus, there are about 600,000 people in the city in July and August.
Most Varnians (варненци,varnentsi) are ethnicBulgarians (94%). Ethnic Turks rank second with 3%; however by 2009,Russians and other Russian-speaking recent immigrants with no Bulgarian citizenship, estimated at over 20,000, perhaps have outnumbered them, additionally there is a growing number of new Asian and African immigrants and corporateexpatriates. These are mostly students of the medical university of Varna. There is a comparable number of Romani (1% of the population) mostly in three distinctive and largely impoverished neighbourhoods: Maksuda; Rozova Dolina in theAsparuhovo district; and Chengene Kula in the Vladislavovo district, while Varna is spearheading several programs on Romani integration.Armenians,Greeks, Jews, and other long-standing ethnic groups are also present although in much smaller numbers. With the departure of most Turks and Greeks and the arrival of Bulgarian refugees and settlers from inland, NorthernDobruja,Bessarabia, andAsia Minor, and later, of refugees fromMacedonia, EasternThrace and Southern Dobruja following theSecond Balkan War and the First World War, ethnic diversity gave way to Bulgarian predominance, although sizeable minorities ofGagauz, Armenians, andSephardic Jews remained for decades.
According to the 1876 census of theDanube Vilayet in theOttoman Empire, the population of Varna consisted of a majority ofBulgarians (50%) and a minority ofMuslims (over 40%).[56] A significant part were Turkish-speaking Christians (Gagauzes) who identified as Bulgarians.
According to the 1881 census in Bulgaria, theTurkish language was a mother tongue for 8903 people (36.25%), for 6721 was theBulgarian (27.36%), for 5,367 was Greek (21.85%) and Tatar for 837 (3.41%). By ethnic group, ethnic Bulgarians were then 6,714, of whom 4478 men and 2236 women.[57]
According to the latest 2011 census data, the individuals declared their ethnic identity were distributed as follows:[58][59]
Port VarnaA new "lifestyle" shopping mall in the Troshevo district
Economically, Varna is among the best-performing and fastest-growing Bulgarian cities. In 2016 the unemployment rate is 3.5% and the average salary is nearly 900lv (450€) per month.[61]The economy is service-based, with 61% of net revenue generated in trade and tourism, 16% in manufacturing, 14% in transportation and communications, and 6% in construction.[62] Financial services, particularly banking, insurance, investment management, and real-estate finance are booming. The city is the easternmost destination ofPan-European corridors 8 and is connected to corridors 7 and 9 via Rousse. Major industries traditionally include transportation (Navibulgar,Port of Varna,Varna Airport), distribution (Logistics Park Varna[63]),shipbuilding (see alsoOceanic-Creations), ship repair,[64] and other marine industries.
The largest port in Bulgaria is thePort of Varna through which over 7m tonnes of freight moves annually.[65]
In June 2007,Eni andGazprom disclosed theSouth Stream project whereby a 900-kilometre-long (559-mile) offshore natural gas pipeline from Russia'sDzhubga with annual capacity of 63 billion metres (207 billion feet) was planned to come ashore at Varna, possibly near the Galata offshore gas field, en route to Italy and Austria. Nevertheless, the project was stopped due to the EU–Russia conflict.
With the nearby towns ofBeloslav andDevnya, Varna forms theVarna-Devnya Industrial Complex, home to some of the largest chemical, thermal power, and manufacturing facilities in Bulgaria, including Varna Thermal Power Plant andSodi Devnya, the two largest cash privatisation deals in the country's recent history. There are also notable facilities for radio navigation devices, household appliances, security systems, textiles, apparel, food and beverages, printing, and other industries. Some manufacturing veterans are giving way to post-industrial developments: an ECE shopping mall is taking the place of the former VAMO diesel engine works and the Varna Brewery is being replaced by a convention centre.
A beach atGolden SandsGrand Hotel Hermitage, Golden Sands
Tourism is of foremost importance with the suburban beachfront resorts ofGolden Sands,Riviera Holiday Club, Sunny Day,Saints Constantine and Helena attracting around 1 million foreign tourists in 2016. The resorts received considerable internal and foreign investment in the late 1990s and early in the first decade of the 21st century, and are environmentally sound, being located reassuringly far from chemical and other smokestack industries. Varna is also Bulgaria's only internationalcruise destination with 36 cruises for 2014 and a major international conference and SPA centre. Varna South Bay is also becoming a popular area for tourists
Real estate boomed in 2003–2008 with some of the highest prices in the country, by fall 2007 surpassing Sofia. In 2017 Varna is second in terms of construction projects.[66]
In retail, the city not only has the assortment of international big-box retailers, now found in larger Bulgarian cities, but boasts made-in-Varna national chains with locations spreading over the country such as retailerPiccadilly, the famous restaurant chainHappy and pharmacy chainSanita.Mall Varna, Grand Mall and Delta Planet Mall are the three largest shopping centres in Varna, turning the city into an attractive shopping destination. The city has many of the finest eateries in the nation and abounds in ethnic food places.There is a plethora of Internet cafes and many places, including parks, are covered by free public wireless internet service. Varna is connected to other Black Sea cities by the submarineBlack Sea Fibre Optic Cable System.
In 2016 Varna won the vote of Darik Radio listeners and was awarded "Best city to live" and "Protector of History".[67]
The public transport system is managed by "City Transport Varna" and has been recently modernised. Ticket prices are reasonable: from 1lv (0.50€) for city zones to 3lv (1.50€) for routes Varna –Golden Sands. Along with local buses,trolleybuses, fixed-route minibus lines, there is also a large fleet of taxis.
In 2021, a light rail (LRT) system was proposed by the municipality. It is expected to connect the airport with the central part of the city, with several underground sections and stations. The funding will be provided by the EU programmes.
City landmarks include theVarna Archaeological Museum, exhibiting theGold of Varna, theRoman Baths, theBattle of Varna Park Museum, the Naval Museum in the ItalianateVilla Assareto displaying themuseum shipDrazki torpedo boat, the Museum of Ethnography in an Ottoman-period compound featuring the life of local urban dwellers, fisherfolk, and peasants in the late 19th and early 20th century.
You can see the highlight landmarks using Varna City Card – it combines all essential cultural locations, gives many discounts to tourists in restaurants and bars, and overall saves money.[68]
"Fountain of the Sirens" in the Sea GardenTheSea Garden
The 'Sea Garden' is the oldest and perhaps largest park in town containing an open-air theatre (venue of the International Ballet Competition, opera performances and concerts),Varna Aquarium (opened 1932), the Festa Dolphinarium (opened 1984), the Nicolaus Copernicus Observatory and Planetarium, the Museum of Natural History, a terrarium, a zoo, an alpineum, a children's amusement park with a pond, boathouse and ice-skating rink, and other attractions. The National Revival Alley is decorated with bronze monuments to prominent Bulgarians, and the Cosmonauts' Alley contains trees planted byYuri Gagarin and other Soviet and Bulgariancosmonauts. The Garden is a national monument of landscape architecture and is said to be the largest landscaped park in the Balkans.
The waterfront promenade is lined by a string of beach clubs offering a vibrant scene of rock, hip-hop, Bulgarian and American-style pop, techno, andchalga. In October 2006,The Independent dubbed Varna "Europe's new funky-town, the good-time capital of Bulgaria".[69] The city enjoys a nationwide reputation for its rock, hip-hop, world music, and other artists, clubs, and related events such asJuly Morning and international rock and hip-hop (including graffiti[70]) venues.
The city beaches, also known assea baths (морски бани,morski bani), are dotted with hot (up to 55°С/131 °F) sulphuric mineral water sources (used for spas, swimming pools and public showers) and punctured by small sheltered marinas. Additionally, the 2.05 km (1.27 mi) long, 52 m (171 ft) highAsparuhov most bridge is a popular spot forbungee jumping. Outside the city are theEuxinograd palace, park and winery, theUniversity of Sofia Botanical Garden (Ecopark Varna), thePobiti Kamani rock phenomenon, and the medievalcave monastery,Aladzha.
Tourist shopping areas include the boutique rows along Prince Boris Blvd (with retail rents rivalling Vitosha Blvd in Sofia) and adjacent pedestrian streets, as well as the large mall and big-box cluster in the Mladost district, suitable for motorists. Two other shopping plazas, Piccadilly Park and Central Plaza, are conveniently located to serve tourists in the resorts north of the city centre, both driving and riding the public transit. ATMs and 24/7 gas stations with convenience stores abound.
Varna History Museum
Food markets, among others, include supermarket chainsBilla,Kaufland andMetro. In stores and restaurants, credit cards are normally accepted. There is a number of farmers markets offering fresh local produce; the Kolkhozen Pazar, the largest one, also has a fresh fish market but is located in a crowded area virtually inaccessible for cars.
Like other cities in the region, Varna has its share of stray dogs, calm and friendly, flashing orange clips on the ears showing they have been castrated and vaccinated. However, urban wildlife is dominated by the ubiquitous seagulls, while brown squirrels inhabit the Sea Garden. Cats are also everywhere in the city. In January and February, migrating swans winter on the sheltered beaches.[71]
Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral at nightSaint Nicholas seamen's churchSt. Athanasius church withancient thermae in foregroundInterior of the Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral
Notable old BulgarianOrthodox temples include the metropolitan Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral (of the diocese of Varna and VelikiPreslav); the early-17th-century Theotokos Panagia (built on the site of an earlier church where Ladislaus III was perhaps buried); theSt. Athanasius (formerGreek metropolitan cathedral) on the footprint of a razed 10th-century church; the 15th-centurySt. Petka Parashkeva chapel; the seamen's church ofSaint Nicholas; theArchangel Michael chapel, site of the first Bulgarian secular school from the National Revival era; and the Sts.Constantine andHelena church of the 14th-century suburban monastery of the same name.
The remains of a large 4th- to 5th-century stronghold basilica in Dzhanavara Park just south of town are becoming a tourist destination with some exquisite mosaics displayedin situ. The remains of another massive 9th-century basilica adjacent to the scriptorium at Boris I's Theotokos Panagia monastery are being excavated and conserved. A 4th- to 5th-century episcopal basilica north of the Thermae is also being restored. There is also a number of newer Orthodox temples; two, dedicated to apostle Andrew and the local martyr St. Procopius of Varna, are currently under construction. Many smaller Orthodox chapels have mushroomed in the area. In early 2009, Vasil Danev, leader of the ethnic Organization of the United Roma Communities (FORO), said local Roma would also erect an Orthodox chapel.
Two old mosques (one is open) have survived since Ottoman times, when there were 18 of them in town, as have two once stately but now dilapidated synagogues, aSephardic and anAshkenazic one, the latter inGothic style (it is undergoing restoration). A new mosque was recently added in the southern Asparuhovo district serving the adjacentMuslim Roma neighbourhood.
On a different note, spiritual masterPeter Deunov started preaching hisEsoteric Christianity doctrine in Varna in the late 1890s, and, in 1899–1908, the yearly meetings of his Synarchic Chain, later known as the Universal White Brotherhood, were convened there.
Art Nouveau mansion on Prince Boris I BoulevardChaika apartment complex, the socialist showcase for the 1972 World Congress of Architecture
By 1878, Varna was an Ottoman city of mostly wooden houses in a style characteristic of the Black Sea coast, densely packed along narrow, winding lanes.[72][73] It was surrounded by a stone wall restored in the 1830s with a citadel, a moat, ornamented iron gates flanked by towers, and a vaulted stone bridge across the River Varna. The place abounded in pre-Ottoman relics, ancient ruins were widely used as stone quarries.
Today, very little of this legacy remains; the city centre was rebuilt by the nascent Bulgarian middle class in late 19th and early 20th centuries in Western style with local interpretations ofNeo-Renaissance,Neo-Baroque,Neoclassicism,Art Nouveau andArt Deco (many of those buildings, whose ownership was restored after 1989, underwent renovations).
Stone masonry from demolished city walls was used for the cathedral, the two elite high schools, and for paving new boulevards. The middle class built practical townhouses and coop buildings. Elegant mansions were erected on main boulevards and in the vineyards north of town. A few industrial working-class suburbs (of one-family cottages with small green yards) emerged. Refugees from the 1910s wars also settled in similar poorer yet vibrant neighbourhoods along the city edges.
During the rapid urbanisation of the 1960s to the early 1980s, large apartment complexes sprawled onto land formerly covered by small private vineyards or agricultural cooperatives as the city population tripled. Beach resorts were designed mostly in a sleek modern style, which was somewhat lost in their recent more lavish renovations. Modern landmarks of the 1960s include thePalace of Culture and Sports, built in 1968.
With the country's return to capitalism since 1989, upscale apartment buildings mushroomed both downtown and on uptown terraces overlooking the sea and the lake. Varna's vineyards (лозя,lozya), dating back perhaps to antiquity and stretching for miles around, started turning from mostly rural grounds dotted with summer houses orvilla into affluent suburbs sporting opulent villas and family hotels, epitomised by the researchedpostmodernist kitsch of the Villa Aqua.
With the new suburban construction far outpacing infrastructure growth, ancient landslides were activated, temporarily disrupting major highways. As the number of vehicles quadrupled since 1989, Varna became known for traffic jams; parking on the old town's leafy but narrow streets normally takes the sidewalks. At the same time, stretches ofshanty towns, more befitting Rio de Janeiro, remain inRomani neighbourhoods on the western edge of town due to complexities of local politics.
The beach resorts were rebuilt and expanded, without being as heavily overdeveloped as were other tourist destinations on theBulgarian Black Sea Coast, and their greenery was mostly preserved. New modern office buildings started reshaping the old centre and the city's surroundings.[74][75]
University of Economics, founded on 14 May 1920 as the Higher School of Commerce, is the second oldest Bulgarian university afterSofia University. It is the first private one—underwritten by the Varna Chamber of Commerce and Industry.[76] Prof. Tsani Kalyandzhiev,University of Zurich alumni and a research chemist in the United States, was university's firstrector (principal).
Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy is the oldest technical educational institution in Bulgaria. The institution started as a Maritime School, established in 1881 inRuse. After 1900 the now called Engineering School to the Fleet was moved to Varna and subsequently named as His Majesty's Naval Academy in 1942. In 1949, the Naval School adopted as its patronNikola Vaptsarov, a poet, who graduated the school in 1926, and received the name N. Y. Vaptsarov People's Naval School.
Medical University Varna was established in 1961 and is a recognised abroad as a leading institution for quality medical education. The university has attracted students from 44 countries and is partnering with 85 foreign institutions across the globe.
Technical University of Varna was founded in 1962 and was first established as Mechanical-Electrical Engineering Institute.
Chernorizets Hrabar Varna Free University, founded in 1991, was the first private university after 1989. It specialises in International Economics and Administration, Law, and Architecture.
Varna has some of the finest and oldest museums, professional arts companies, and arts festivals in the nation and is known for its century-old traditions in visual arts, music, and book publishing, as well as for its bustling current hip hop and pop-culture scene. Over the past few decades, it developed as a festival centre of international standing. Varna is a front-runner forEuropean Capital of Culture for 2019, planning to open several new high-profile facilities such as a new opera house and concert hall, a new exhibition centre, and a reconstruction of the Summer Theatre, the historic venue of theInternational Ballet Competition.
InBram Stoker's 1897 novelDracula Varna wasCount Dracula's "transportation hub" — the point of origin of the shipDemeter, the initial destination of theCzarina Catherine, and the place where the vampire's annihilation was planned to be carried out.[82]
In theMechanic: Resurrection film,Tommy Lee Jones's character Max Adams lives in Varna and the headquarters of his criminal organisation is based there.
InGarth Greenwell's 2016 novelWhat Belongs to You Varna is the hometown of Mitko, the narrator's love interest, and a pivotal scene takes place in a hotel there.
As early as the 1880s, numerous daily and weekly newspapers were published in Bulgarian and several minority languages. Local newspapers include:Cherno More,Chernomorie,Dialog,Narodno Delo,Pozvanete,Varna (weekly),Vlastta (e-newspaper),Varna Utre. The national newspapers' local editions are24 Chasa More,Morski Dnevnik,Morski Trud.Morski Sviat andProstori are the two major magazines published in Varna.
Local radio stations are Radio Varna opened in 1934, DarikNews (Varna), FM+ Varna, Radio Bravo, Alpha Radio (online radio). Local TV stations: BNT More, TV Cherno more, TV Varna.
Galaktika book publishing house occupied a prominent place nationally in the 1970–1990s, focusing on international sci-fi and marine fiction, contemporary non-fiction and poetry.Publishing houses in Varna include:Alfiola (New Age),Alpha Print (advertising),Atlantis,Kompas,Liternet[83] (poetry, fiction, non-fiction: electronic and print), Naroden Buditel (history),Slavena (history, children's books, travel, multimedia, advertising).
In the late 19th century, Varna was considered the birthplace of Bulgarian football with a Swiss gym teacher,Georges de Regibus, coaching the first varsity team at the men's high school. Association football is the biggest spectator sport with two rival clubs in the nation's top professional league,Cherno More (the Sailors), founded in 1913 and four times national champion, including the first championship in 1925, andSpartak (the Falcons), founded in 1918, one time champion and participant in theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup in1983, when it reached the second knockout round and playedManchester United. In 2021,Fratria was established. Few other football academies exist.
From 1993 to 2003,Grand Hotel Varna was a hegemon in the women football league, winning 10 consecutive titles.
Modern Bulgarian swimming dates to 18 May 1923 when the Bulgarian Public Marine Union was established in Varna. The organisation was the first to manage and administer swimming as a sport in Bulgaria. Famous Bulgarian swimmers from Varna are Aleksi Aleksiev (aka the Pope), Milko Rachev (aka Brother Milko), Maria Nikolova,Julian Rusev. Some of the leading swimming clubs are PSK Cherno More, KPS Asteri, KPS Torpedo, SKPS Albatros and KPS Cherno More.
Julian Rusev pool is the second oldest 50 m Olympic-size pool in the country, built in 1964 and located on the South beach in Varna. After a major redevelopment in 2008 council owned entity was established named Swimming Complex "Primorski". The 50m pool, now in line withFINA pool criteria, was adjacent to the water polo and diving pool "Aleksi Aleksiev". Subsequently, a third 25 m covered pool was built next to the diving pool along with a SPA & gym centre.There are three other swimming pools in the city.
On the first Sunday of August the marathon "Galata – Varna" takes place, the oldest Bulgarianswimming marathon. It dates back to 1939 and it attracts nearly 300 national and foreign swimmers. Bulgaria greatest swimmerPetar Stoychev holds the all-time record of 46 min for swimming the 4.5 km open water distance, crossing the Varna Bay.
Men's basketball (Euroins Cherno More), women's volleyball, gymnastics, boxing, martial arts, sailing and tennis are also vibrant. Akarting racing and a go kart track and ahippodrome with ahorsebackriding school is located in the Vinitsa neighborhood. Varna karting track is biggest track in Bulgaria .It has more than 30pcs rental go kart and 10 buggies. Another horse club is located just 10 minutes' drive away from Varna in the nearby village ofKichevo.Asparuhov bridge is a major Bulgarianbungee jumping site managed byClub Adrenalin.[95]Cricket has been most recently introduced by ex-pats from cricket playing nations to the city's sport scene.
In August 2007 a new public leisure centre was opened in Mladost district. The track-field stadium consists of football, basketball and volleyball fields and is part of a larger complex of sports facilities for mini-golf, tennis, biking, mini-lakes and ice-skating. Other public leisure centres opened in theSea Garden,Asparuhov Park and elsewhere. The number and range of gym and recreation clubs in Varna have increased in recent years, which reflects the healthy lifestyle of the average Varna citizens.
In the region, there are threegolf courses—Lighthouse Golf Club, BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas and Thracian Cliffs Golf & Beach Resort. The three 18-hole golf courses are of professional quality, constructed in the region to the north of the city in the vicinity ofBalchik andKavarna.[96]
Varna also hosts international competitions, including world championships, and national events in several sports on a regular basis, including auto racing and motocross, karting, open water swimming marathons. Bulgarian national basketball and volleyball teams host their games, includingFIVB Volleyball World League games, at thePalace of Culture and Sports.
Varna Drive, inToronto, Canada, is named after this city. There is also a hamlet in southern Ontario (Huron County) named Varna.[99]
Varna, an area just outside of Aarhus, Denmark. This was named after the Bulgarian city, because Baron Christian C. N. Gersdorff, a former owner of Marselisborg estate, had participated in Russian war service on the Black Sea coast.
^Grande, Lance (2009).Gems and gemstones: Timeless natural beauty of the mineral world. The University of Chicago Press. p. 292.ISBN978-0-226-30511-0.Archived from the original on 21 February 2021. Retrieved20 December 2011.The oldest known gold jewelry in the world is from an archaeological site in Varna Necropolis, Bulgaria, and is over 6,000 years old (radiocarbon dated between 4,600BC and 4,200BC).
^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived(PDF) from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved9 March 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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